# Najib's House Arrest: Not a Get-Out-Of-Jail Free Card

> Najib's house arrest is a lawful prison sentence, not a pardon loophole.
- Title: Najib's House Arrest: Not a Get-Out-Of-Jail Free Card
- Summary: Najib's house arrest is a lawful prison sentence, not a pardon loophole. Malaysia's prison law allows former PM Najib to serve his sentence under house…
- Keywords: najib, house arrest, prison act, malaysia, former prime minister, law, corruption, legal system, news, world, Najib's, House
- Source: Malay Mail — https://malaymail.com/news/what-you-think/2026/09/19/najibs-house-arrest-not-a-get-out-of-jail-free-card-hafiz-hassan/235734
- Published: 2026-09-19T09:42:09+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: najib, house arrest, prison act, malaysia, former prime minister, law, corruption, legal system, news, world
## Najib's house arrest
House arrest is not a get-out-of-jail free card.

> House arrest is not provided by law in Malaysia
## Law allows house arrest
Malaysia's Prison Act 1995 permits house arrest as a lawful sentence.

> The act allows the Home Minister to declare any location a prison
## Section 2 of Prison Act
Section 2 defines prison as any house declared a prison under Section 3.

> Section 2 defines "prison" as "any house, building, enclosure or place, or any part thereof, declared to be a prison under Section 3"
## Section 3 of Prison Act
Home Minister can declare any location a prison by Gazette notification.

> Section 3 empowers the Home Minister to declare, by notification in the Gazette, any house, building, enclosure or place to be a prison
## Section 26 of Prison Act
Najib remains subject to prison discipline during house arrest.

> A prisoner is deemed to be in the lawful custody of the Officer in Charge of the prison and therefore subject to prison discipline
## Section 43 of Prison Act
Commissioner General may modify house arrest conditions at any time.

> The Commissioner General may, at any time if he thinks fit, release on licence and on such conditions as may be specified in the licence
## Lawful sentence
House arrest is a rule of law sentence, not a pardon loophole.

> That makes Najib's house arrest a rule of law sentence
## Key takeaway

Malaysia's prison law allows former PM Najib to serve his sentence under house arrest with full prison discipline.